Residential Family Assessment Centres
Break has two residential family assessment centres, Magpie in Sheringham and Hazeldene in Lowestoft, where families in crisis can come and stay for up to three months.
HAZELDENE RESIDENTIAL FAMILY ASSESSMENT SERVICE
Hazeldene provides a safe environment for parents who have had difficulties in caring for their children. We promote and assess parenting skills to ensure that children are safe and protected. We offer families an opportunity for intensive support to help them recognise the needs of their children. The protection of vulnerable children is our prime focus and the clarity of our assessments inform the referrers whether a child’s needs can be adequately met by parents or carers or whether there is a need for intervention and alternative care arrangements that will secure the longer term future for the child.
Our Aim
Our aim is to work with all those involved in the lives of children referred to the service, to provide and plan for their best possible care and the longer term future. We further aim to provide families with as pleasant an environment as possible giving them the maximum opportunity to settle and focus on the care of their children without feeling overwhelmed.
Our Centre
Hazeldene is one of Break’s two Residential Family Assessment Centres in East Anglia where we provide residential and community based family assessments and has a strong reputation in this area of work. Hazeldene is based in a large character house in the Suffolk seaside town of Lowestoft. The property provides spacious accommodation with a comfortable, homely feel.
What We Do
- Provide full accommodation for the family
- Provide 24 hour staffing
- Night monitoring for first 2 weeks, including in the cost. Further night monitoring can be provided at an additional cost
- Conduct assessments based on the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need. Although primary focus is on the ‘Parenting Capacity’ domain, the other dimensions are also addressed
- Assessments are carried out for up to a 12 week period
- Work with the family on specific areas identified at referral stage
- Establish a placement agreement with the family which incorporates areas all parties would like to cover
- Provide information, advice, guidance and support to parents to assist their development (response to this also contributes to the assessment)
- Monthly reviews of progress – to inform both the referrer and the family
- Participate in Statutory Reviews, Core Group Meetings etc
- Liaise regularly with social workers and other professionals involved with the family
- Provide a Final Report. Should this be required for court purposes, the author of the report will be available to give evidence
Our Staff
Our experienced and well trained team of social workers and project workers work closely with families and each family will have a case worker, which will be a senior member of staff and two keyworkers. We use a range of approaches underpinned by theory and research.
Enquiries and Referrals
There are two spot purchase placements available at Hazeldene. For more information download the Hazeldene leaflet or email the team hazeldene@break-charity.org. Alternatively to arrange a visit please call 01502 560344/01502 586093.
“Break is an innovative voluntary organisation that has been known for many years for providing an holistic service that seeks to make sense of every part of a child’s life.
Such is the measure of their forward thinking that many of the things identified as strengths in the Looked After Children Select Committee report are already being taken forward by Break.”
Jonathan Stanley, Head of the National Centre for Excellence in Residential Child Care (NCERCC), a part of the National Children’s Bureau
Magpie family assessment service operates on a Service Level Agreement with Norfolk Children’s Services and only takes referrals from them.